Author: Naija Daily News

Photo: Lagos Speaker, Mojisola Meranda A fresh twist has emerged in the unending leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday, as reports emerged that the police have withdrawn security details to the Speaker, Rt Hon Mojisola Meranda. The development was confirmed by the Senior Special Assistant to Meranda on Media, Ganzallo Victor, who raised the alarm about the safety of the state’s Number 3 citizen. Ganzallo, in a statement, said the Speaker and House of Assembly are vulnerable with the development. It would be recalled that Meranda emerged after the former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa was impeached…

The Federal Government has urged cement manufacturers to reduce prices to N7,000, citing improved economic conditions. This call was made by Minister of Works, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, during a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday. Umahi pointed out that the naira has stabilized at around N1,400 per dollar, and petrol prices have fallen, creating a favorable environment for lower cement prices. He criticized the current price of N9,500, noting that manufacturers had raised prices when the dollar was nearly N2,000 but have not reduced them despite the naira’s recovery. “While the dollar was at N2,000, cement prices rose from…

Photo: Jude Okoye Jude Okoye, brother and former manager of the defunct music duo P-Square, has been charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with money laundering involving N1.38 billion, $1 million, and £34,537.59. The charges, presented in a seven-count indictment, also involve his company, Northside Music Ltd. Okoye pleaded “not guilty” to the charges. Justice Alexander Owoeye adjourned the case until February 28 for a bail hearing and April 14 for trial. Okoye will remain in custody at the Ikoyi correctional facility during this period. The allegations against Okoye include using a bureau de change to convert…

File photo of Ogoni women protest Women from Ogoni in Rivers State have threatened to stage a nude protest if the Federal Government proceeds with plans to resume oil extraction without addressing key concerns. Under the Ogoni Women Coalition for Sustainable Environment, 15 groups, including Mba Okase Initiative and Eedee Ladies of Tai, expressed their opposition. They insisted that oil extraction should not resume until the issues that led to the suspension of operations in the 1990s are resolved. Dr. Patience Osaroejiji, leader of Mba Okase Initiative, warned that Ogoni women would protest naked in the streets if the government…

By Didimoko A Didimoko, with agency report Two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa have been found dead in their home in the U.S. state of New Mexico, the Santa Fe New Mexican website said on Thursday. The website quoted Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza as saying the couple had died along with their dog, and that there was no immediate indication of foul play. In a career that spanned more than six decades, he received two Academy Awards, two Baftas, four Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award. A statement from the Santa…

By Deborah Nnamdi An Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Ibadan, on Wednesday, ordered the remand in a correctional facility of a 55-year-old fake doctor, Moyosore Johnson, for allegedly causing the death of a woman. Johnson, whose address was not provided, was arraigned on a four-count charge bothering conspiracy and accelerating cause of death. The Prosecutor, Insp. Segun Adegboye told the court that the defendant committed the offenses on July 5, 2024, at about 10.00 a.m., at Apata Igbala Hospital Iseyin, Oyo State. Adegboye alleged that the defendant unlawfully accelerated the cause of the death of one Badirat Adebayo, 26, by…

By Deborah Nnamdi A man in Shanghai lost nearly $28,000 after being tricked into a long-distance “relationship” with an AI-generated girlfriend, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday. Scammers used generative artificial intelligence software to create realistic video and still images of a young woman to pose as the fictional “Ms. Jiao”, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The victim transferred nearly 200,000 yuan (nearly $28,000) to what he believed was his online lover’s bank account after the scammers used the fake images to convince him that his “girlfriend” needed funds to open a business and help a relative with medical bills.…

By Sodeeq Kamsela, with agency report U.S. President Donald Trump is contemplating replacing a visa program for foreign investors with a new “gold card” that could be bought for $5 million as a route to American citizenship. Trump told reporters he will replace the “EB-5” immigrant investor visa program, which allows foreign investors of large sums of money that create or preserve U.S. jobs to become permanent residents, with a so-called “gold card.” The EB-5 program grants “green cards” to foreigners promising to invest in U.S. businesses. But Trump said, “We are going to be selling a gold card. We…

Four people from Kashimbila Ward in Takum Local Government Area, Taraba State, have died, and two others are receiving medical treatment after consuming a meal made with suspected poisonous fish. The incident occurred at the weekend near the Kashimbila Multi-Purpose Dam. The victims, Fulani herders identified as Abdul Juli, Sule Abubakar, Adamu Mato, Saidu Payo, Yusuf Musa, and Ibrahim Haruna, were grazing their cattle when they found an abandoned fish at the bank of the Kashimbila River. Unaware that the fish was poisonous, they cooked it and ate it. In a statement, according to LEADERSHIP, Hon. John Ali, the chairman…

By Didimoko A. Didimoko A 45-year-old pastor, Ijebor Simon, and his alleged accomplice, 23-year-old Destiny Okojabhole, have been arrested by the Edo State Police Command in connection with the alleged of a seven-year-old boy. The child, identified as Evans Okojabhole, had earlier been declared missing before his dismembered remains were discovered close to his distraught father’s house in Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area of the state. The suspects’ arrest followed the complaint to the police by the victim’s father, John Ojabhole. The Edo State Police Command PRO, Moses Yamu, said the late Evans was sighted with his stomach ripped…